


Broken Cobblestones

by squadhanjis



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), Taylor Swift (Musician)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Based on a Taylor Swift Song, Bisexual Mal (Disney), F/F, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Graduation, High School, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Past Mal/Uma (Disney), Song: betty (Taylor Swift), Umal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:21:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26271790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squadhanjis/pseuds/squadhanjis
Summary: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺?High school AU inspired by the song 'Betty' where Mal and Uma were childhood best friends, always hinting at something more, until high school happens and their friendship falls apart. Three years later, on the night before graduation, Mal finds herself at Uma's doorstep.
Relationships: Mal & Uma (Disney), Mal/Uma (Disney)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 22





	Broken Cobblestones

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sea_dragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sea_dragon/gifts).



> hello!! 
> 
> i couldn't stop listening to betty and imagining it as the perfect enemies to lovers and therefore, umal song. it was made for them. so me and val (who i'm writing 'purple wings and aqua springs' with!!! go check it out!!!) headcannoned a fic a month ago and i wrote it. can't believe i did that. hope you enjoy!
> 
> my twitter is @mvlficent <3

_ What if I just showed up at your party? _

__

She didn’t know what she was doing. 

She didn’t know why she was here; she was supposed to be meeting Evie, Jay, and Carlos right now at Evie’s place. It was their final night before graduation and everyone was going out in style with a huge campfire up at the hills that overlooked Auradon. Ben’s dad was the sheriff, and so he’d promised to turn a blind eye at the underaged kids drinking hard seltzer and dancing to outdated pop. Auradon was a small town in Ohio, and this was probably the craziest night of the year, with all of the senior class going wild before they graduated the next day and spent the rest of the summer focusing on college applications and summer jobs.

Mal had a good shot at college really, she was head cheerleader, best friends with the senior class president, dating- dated the quarterback, got decent grades. She knew if she really wanted to, she could move far away from this small town and never look back. And she did want that, but something was keeping her from it, something was keeping her from going straight to Evie’s without a second thought, and that something was in the shape of a girl.

_ ~ _

_“Hey! That’s not fair, you totally have been practising without me.” Uma crossed her arms, looking at Mal with an annoyed expression that cracked moments later into an amused smile._

_ “Maybe you just need to admit I’m better at you at skating,” Mal teased back, her face scrunching up as she glided past Uma, putting weight onto her back leg and lifting them both, causing the skateboard to flip seamlessly in the air. Her board was a bright purple, with purple dragons and green flames that she’d hand painted herself, and the colours warped in the early evening light, glimmering. Her feet came back down lightly onto the board, and she swerved round and came back to the other girl standing there, watching. _

_ “Seriously, Mal, we said we wouldn’t do it without each other!” _

_~_

Her hand is so close to the door now, and she’s about to knock on it, holding her breath, trying to steady her racing nerves. This is her last shot, and she knows it, before everything changes, and everyone moves, and things will never be the same again. It’s not like things were the same anyway, things have never been the same, not since she did that. Not since she did the worst thing she’s ever done. But everything can be fixed. That’s what she’s been telling herself the last few weeks, not even really sure why she was repeating it to herself like some sort of mantra, but Mal knows now. The universe doesn’t quite have the same idea, though, because she feels a buzzing in her pocket. She answers, relief coursing through her like a feeling of shame.

“Hello?”

_ “Mal? Where are you? You were supposed to be here half an hour ago.”  _ Her best friend’s voice comes through the phone like a melody. Evie was the sweetest girl she’d ever met, they’d been friends since 9th grade, when Mal started dating Ben and had joined the cheerleading team. They’d been inseparable ever since, with Evie being Mal’s rock since she’d broken up with Ben. Ben. Mal doesn’t really know what she ever saw in him, but they were together for three years, so it must’ve been something. (Or someone. Mal doesn’t let herself dwell on it, not even when she’s alone in the middle of the night. She doesn’t sleep much.) 

“I know, E, I’m sorry. I’m just running late. I’ll be there soon.”

_ “You’re not doing what I think you’re doing, are you?” _

“Evie, I have to fix this.”

_ “What?! But she was awful to you!” _

“I- I didn’t tell you the full story, Evie. I have to go.”

_ “What? Mal-” click. _

_ ~ _

_ “We’re starting high school tomorrow.” _

_ Mal laughed, blades of grass tickling the side of her neck. The two girls were laying in Uma’s back garden, under the stars, both of them heavy with words they weren’t saying. They were only fourteen, but both girls had been through more trauma together than they cared to admit. They were each other’s glue, but things were changing. _

_ “Thank you, Captain Obvious, for that information. It’s not like it’s all we’ve been talking about for months.” She felt a light shove in her side, and Uma’s laugh rang out in the evening air. _

_ “Shut up, you know what I meant. We’re gonna rule that school together. We’ll be unstoppable.” _

_ “You’re acting as if we’re two villains planning world domination.” _

_ Uma sat up then, her eyes glinting under the stars. _

_ “Isn’t it like that, though? We’ll be the underdogs, rising above the cheerleaders and the jocks, and even the emo kids who think they’re superior because they don’t listen to the radio.” _

_ Mal looks up at Uma then, smiling. Uma was always so full of ideas, so full of crazy stories and theories and plans. It made Mal’s head swirl sometimes, but in the best of ways. _

_ “Mal and Uma, queens of Auradon High. Bow down to us, peasants.” _

_ Uma grinned back down at Mal, and grabbed her hand, pulling her to sit up next to her. There weren’t a lot of boundaries when you’d been friends since the age of five, when a cute blue haired girl moved next door and you crawled through the fence to make friends and just never really left.  _

_ “Exactly. The parties, the sports, the clubs. High school is gonna be so cool. As long as you don’t become a stinking cheerleader and ditch me.” _

_ Uma’s tone was light, but Mal knew they were now in dangerous territory. It wasn’t the first time Uma had brought up this topic, she’d become a lot more dependent on Mal these last few weeks, almost as if she thought something was going to happen. Mal had hinted she’d wanted to try new things, meet new people, and Uma didn’t seem to share that notion. They did this really cool thing where they didn’t talk about it after, or their feelings ever, but Mal knew it had to come at some point. _

_ “Uma. I’m never going to leave you.” _

_ Uma looks away. “I didn’t say you-” _

_ Mal grabs Uma’s chin, pulling it toward her so brown eyes meet with green. _

_ “We’re stronger together, okay? We always have been, we always will be.” _

_ ~ _

The door was opening before she knew what was happening, and she was staring at a chiselled chest and black eyeliner towering above her. 

“Is this some kind of a joke?”

“Harry, I-”

Harry steps out onto the porch and clicks the door shut behind him quietly, turning back around to look at Mal in absolute disdain. (I guess I deserve that, she tells herself.)

“What are you doing here? Has Uma seen you?”

“No, I just got here. Is she inside?” 

Harry scoffs at her, and Mal’s heart aches standing on this porch, it’s like she can’t breathe. She used to skate past every day before she moved in with Evie, after her parents kicked her out. She can’t even count the amount of times she’s stood on this porch, but now it feels wrong. She doesn’t belong here, it’s quiet out here and all she can hear is the loud music coming from inside the house. She looks to her left and sees her old house, and her heart twists even more.

“I can’t believe you’ve got the nerve to come back here after everything you’ve put her through. Don’t you have a popular kids party to go to?”

“That’s not fair-”

“Isn’t it?” Harry raises an eyebrow, his disdain clear.

“I just want a chance to apologise.”

Mal must look desperate, or Harry sees something in her expression that he breathes out, his guard loosening a little bit.

“I didn’t let you in. I don’t even know you’re here.”

Mal wants to hug him, she wants to cry, but all she can do is give a small nod and lightly step past Harry into the house.

“Just so you know, it’s too little too late, Mal.”

She falters, looking down at the floor, flitting her eyes shut momentarily. What he doesn’t realise is that she knows this. But she’s hopeful. Mal doesn’t respond, and instead heads into the house in search of something to drink, and someone to face.

_ ~ _

_“Oh, Mal. Come here.”_

_Mal threw herself into Evie’s arms, heavy sobs wracking her body, making her heave. Tears wouldn’t stop flowing down her face in a heavy stream, and it was all she could do to hold onto Evie and not crumple to the ground. Evie steadied her, and without a word, took her bags full of useless shit she’d packed through streaming eyes, and took her upstairs to the guest bedroom. They’d called Jay and Carlos, and within an hour they were at Evie’s house with boxes of pizza._

_As soon as Mal opened the door, she was pulled into a crippling bear hug from Jay, which caused a whole new wave of tears and soft reassurances._

_“You can stay here for as long as you need, okay?”_

_ That was what Evie had said, not realising that Mal wouldn’t end up leaving, not that she minded. She’d never really liked Mal’s mom, and if she were honest, she knew this was coming. It had been a long time coming, and Evie couldn’t believe how much of a fighter Mal was. She’d lost so many people close to her, and Evie knew this was like losing Uma all over again. So, she just hugged Mal, and hugged her tighter, and looked out for her as much as she could. _

_ ~ _

She was a couple drinks down now, sticking to the shadows of the kitchen and the hallway. She knew this house like the back of her hand, she’d never forget the places where she used to hide and jump out to make Uma scream, or where they’d hide around the corner of the kitchen wall to sneak out the back door and skateboard around the streets late at night. She knew where Uma would be, the centre of attention, in the living room, and she didn’t know what was stopping her from marching in there. So, she kept drinking and drinking until she had the courage to do something, anything. 

**E <3 [9:05]: I need an explanation when you get here! Where are you?**

Mal looked at her phone, the letters slightly blurry, as she typed out a reply.

**Me [9:05]: m okay ! i just have to do thsi**

**E <3 [9:06]: Are you drunk?**

**Me [9:06]: ………. no**

**E <3 [9:07]: MAL. I’m sending Jay to come get you.**

**Me [9:07]: no !!!! i’ll be okay i’ll text you when im done**

**E <3 [9:08]: Okay. But I’m going to check on you in half an hour, okay? I love you. **

Mal put her phone away. She was lucky to have Evie as her best friend, she knew, but sometimes Evie was too protective of Mal, and it made her feel guilty. She hadn’t exactly told the truth about her and Uma. 

_ ~ _

_“Just admit it, you’ve been distant with me lately.”_

_ Something in Uma’s eye changed that night, and it left Mal dizzy, her heart racing, wondering if she'd crossed some kind of invisible barrier that she didn’t know was off-limits.  _

_ “You keep saying this, but we still see each other every day, and we’re still best friends Uma. We’ve only been at school for a couple weeks.” _

_ “You haven’t been sitting with me lately, and you’ve been hanging out with Evie. She’s a fucking cheerleader, Mal. That’s not you.” _

_ They were standing in the middle of Uma’s room, they’d been watching old reruns of Adventure Time like they used to, and Mal’s phone had started blowing up from Evie asking her about cheerleading try-outs tomorrow. Try-outs that Mal hadn’t had the chance to tell Uma about yet. Try-outs that Mal was actually really looking forward to. _

_ “How do you know what’s me?” _

_ “Mal, we’ve known each other since we were five, I think I know you.” _

_ “What if I wanted to try something new? Is that so bad?” _

_ Uma burrows her eyebrows then, her face suddenly full of caution. _

_ “Like what? What are you saying?” _

_ Mal sighs, her shoulders slumping as she pinches her nose. _

_ “I’m trying out for the cheerleading team tomorrow with Evie. We’ve been practising, and she thinks I have a good shot.” _

_ “Are you fucking kidding me?”  _

_ Mal saw red then. She was sick of this. She could put up with Uma’s protectiveness over summer, but this was going too far. She didn’t have to explain her actions to the other girl. _

_ “What, Uma?” _

_ “That was never part of the plan, Mal, you know-” _

_ Mal blew up, her anger pulling her into Uma’s space, her nose dangerously close to the other girl’s. _

_ “What fucking plan, Uma? The one you’ve created in your head? I’m not your fucking sidekick in a Disney film, Umes. I’m my own person, you can’t control me like you control everything else in your life!” _

_ “What the fuck, Mal? Who are you? This was supposed to be the time of our lives, and instead you’re completely ditching me for the popular kids, just like I said you would!” _

_ “How dare y-” _

_ “Tell me I’m wrong!” Uma was moving closer to Mal too, her breath fanning over Mal’s face. They were best friends, but they both were more stubborn than they cared to admit, and it did not make a good mix. _

_ “I’m your friend, Uma, I’m not your fucking girlfriend!”  _

_ ~ _

Her head is spinning now, so is the room, and it’s only when she stares into familiar brown eyes that she realises where she’s stumbled into.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

The room is now quiet, side-eyes are being thrown their eyes. Everyone knows about their rivalry, if you’d even call it that, even if they aren’t making it obvious. Auradon’s a small place where most people went to the same middle and high schools, and Mal and Uma had been a duo since elementary. Everyone noticed them not looking at each other one day, ignoring the others' existence, hanging around with different groups. Even if no-one knew what exactly had gone down, it wasn’t hard to see that something had. So, after three years to see them both talking, it counted as the showdown of the year.

“Uma, I wanted to talk to you, Harry let me-” her hand flew up to her mouth. Fuck. Uma wasn’t supposed to know that.

“Harry let you in? That motherfucker. What the hell is this?”

Before Mal could explain herself, Uma held a hand up, cutting her off. It was surreal to be this close to her, to smell that familiar vanilla and sea salt scent that used to comfort her, and she feels tears in her eyes. The girl in front of her, with her checkered shirt and her denim shorts, was so familiar yet still a stranger to her.

“It doesn’t matter, get out.”

Mal’s face is one of shock. She knew Uma wasn’t exactly going to be happy to see her, but she didn’t expect this kind of reception. (Again, I guess I deserve it, she thinks to herself.)

“Umes, listen, I just want to apologise-” she’s aware of the silence surrounding them now, with everyone watching through hawk eyes and pricked ears, not even bothering to cover it up anymore. The music has stopped too.

“Go fuck yourself, Mal. I don’t want to hear it. Get. Out.”

Mal’s stares at her through eyes that are tearing up, her fists curled by her side, and her chest puffed out with pride, even though she feels like a defeated animal. She looks around the room, and is met with downcast eyes, and pointed looks. 

“Fine.” Her voice is barely a whisper, and she stares into Uma’s eyes, hoping to find something, but screws them shut when she finds nothing but ice. She turns around and all but runs to the back door. Don’t let them see you cry, Mal, don’t let them see any weakness.

It’s only when she gets to the end of the garden to the spot where they used to lay, and looks up at the stars, that the sobs strangling her throat are choked out into the night.

_ ~ _

_ Something flashed in Uma’s eyes, the same look she’d seen in Uma’s backyard, and now she could see it for what it was, thanks to their close proximity and heightened emotions. Before she could apologise, or say anything else, Uma’s lips were on hers.  _

_ Mal let out a light noise of surprise, not expecting the fire that was behind the other girl’s lips and found herself matching that fire as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It scared her how natural it was, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it as she kissed the other girl back ferociously. She was shocked at the amount of adrenaline and electricity sparking through her veins, her whole body humming to life. She wanted to live in this moment forever, no matter how scary it was. But then she remembered, and pushed Uma gently away from her, eyes wide. _

_ “I’m dating Ben.” _

_ Confusion flashes through Uma’s brown eyes, followed instantly by anger and hurt. _

_ “Okay, now you’re fucking kidding me.” _

_ “He asked me out on a date this weekend.” Mal rubbed the side of her arm sheepishly, not quite making eye contact with the other girl, not wanting to see the hurt in those eyes. _

_ “Were you gonna tell me?” Uma’s voice breaks, ever so slightly, but it’s deafening in the room. _

_ “Maybe, at some point- yeah. Yeah, I was.” _

_ “Thanks for the second thought, Mal. It makes me feel so special.” _

_ “You know what?” Mal throws up her hands, and reaches for her bag and jacket, throwing them on. “I’m out of here. You’re acting like a crazy girlfriend Uma, I’m not your property. I can’t fucking deal with this.” _

_ Uma reaches out for Mal, then, her eyes desperate. _

_ “Mal, don’t go, I’m-” her arm takes hold of Mal’s arm, who violently shakes her off. _

_ “Don’t fucking touch me. I’ll see you around, Uma.” _

_ Mal slams the door shut behind her, and Uma stands looking at her door, choking through tears, for far longer than she should. The sight of the purple haired girl running through the streets out of her window would’ve been a sight too much to bear. _

_ ~ _

She doesn’t know how long she’s sat in the garden; she’s got hundreds of missed calls from Evie at this point, but she doesn’t care to answer. She half expects Evie to send Jay to come get her anyway, but she can’t even think anymore. The best night of her high school experience topped only by prom, was ending up to be amongst one of the worst nights of her life. She’s so deep in thought that she doesn’t hear the footsteps behind her until a loud voice violently interrupts her self-pity party.

“Why are you still here? Did you not hear me tell you to fuck off?”

Mal looks up in the direction of the voice again and is met with a start of soft surprise from Uma. She doesn’t even want to think about what Uma is looking at, what she must look like, mascara running down her face, her eyes red and puffy. She doesn’t even know how long she’s been out here crying; the alcohol has blocked out the cold and all ability to tell time and space. It must have been a while though because Uma seems to take pity on her and is taking the cardigan wrapped around her waist and giving it to Mal, who takes it with a sniffle.

“Why are you crying? ‘Cause I know it’s not because of me. You have a perfect life, especially now I’m not in it.” Uma is sitting next to her now, and it tugs at Mal’s heart, it’s all too familiar to that night three years ago.

“It’s not so perfect. I’m not the perfect princess that everyone thinks I am.”

Uma scoffs at that. “You’re head cheerleader, dating the star quarterback, and you’re one of the most popular girls at school. Guess I was just dead weight, huh?”

Mal’s hair isn’t completely purple anymore, not like it was when her and Uma used to skate around the streets, sneaking red bulls past their mom’s, spray painting people’s fences for a laugh. It's blonde now, with streaks of purple in it. She was still the same person after all, but after she’d moved in with Evie, she’d decided she needed a new start, and that started with her hair.

“Stop, Uma. You were never dead weight.”

The two girls are sitting next to each other on the grass, not looking at each other, not touching, but it’s more than Mal could ever have hoped for. She waits for Uma to respond, but the moment never comes, so Mal goes to fill the silence.

“Uma, I-”

“Then why did you abandon me?”

Mal looks at Uma then, and is met with an intense stare. A vulnerable stare, with pain as fresh as it was the day they’d kissed. Mal didn’t know it at the time, but that was the last time they spoke for the rest of their time at high school.

“I didn’t mean to. I just, I felt so pressured.”

“By me?”

“By everyone. My mom was pressuring me to make more friends, become more like she was when she was at school. Evie was pestering me to join the cheerleading team and pushing me to go on dates with Ben, who my mom just adored and-” she sighs.

“I know this sounds stupid and petty and pathetic but, I felt like everyone was expecting me to be this person once we got to high school, and you were expecting me to stay as myself, which was terrifying. I hated the person I was becoming, so-”

“So, it was just easier to shut me out to please everyone else?”

Mal’s face crumples, as she nods weakly, fresh tears cascading down her cheeks. Evie would have to touch up her makeup when she got to hers. She can hear the faint music from inside the house, the bass making the grass beneath her vibrate. 

“I had to change homerooms ‘cause of you, you know. I used to skate past your house every day and I swear I couldn’t breathe.”

Mal pulls the cardigan tighter around her, and takes in a deep breath, listening. 

“I was so hurt when you danced with Ben at prom, because I always thought we’d go as a power duo together. I was so hurt when you joined the cheerleading team and never gave me another thought. Your friend Inez made fun of me so much, and you never did anything to defend me. It hurt. I was so hurt when I- when I kissed you, and you looked at me like I had just murdered your pet bunny.”

Mal lets out a breath and it’s full of mirth, and it causes Uma to let out a chuckle, though it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

“I just, I don’t know how you could have done that to me. I don’t know what I did wrong. I was so angry for so long.”

Mal turns to face Uma completely now, her body turned towards the other girl.

“You had every right to be. You never did anything to deserve that, and it killed me. I’m so sorry, Uma.”

They’re silent then, neither of them saying anything, but still saying so much. They sat in silence for a while, but it’s not suffocating, it’s nice.

“I’m not anymore, though. Dating Ben, that is. We broke up.”

Uma’s eyebrows raise at that.

“I just didn’t want to be with him anymore. He was pressuring me about college and moving in with him, and I guess it was too much.”

“Surely you’d want to move out? Your mom drives you crazy. Drove you crazy.”

Mal grimaced. “I got kicked out in tenth grade. I, uh- I came out to her and she kicked me out. I’ve been living with Evie ever since.”

Uma’s hand instinctively goes to Mal’s at that, and she freezes, going to take her hand away when Mal puts her other hand on top of Uma’s.

“I had no idea. I’m so sorry, Mal.”

Mal shakes her head slightly, smiling through clouded eyes.

“It’s not your fault… I’m sorry, for what it’s worth. I guess I became your enemy because then at least I could hurt you on purpose, rather than just being the person I was.”

Uma scoffs. “How noble of you, princess.”

Mal squeezes Uma’s hands. “I’m serious. I think you always meant a lot to me, and I was scared of that. So, it was just easier to disappoint you.”

“But why not?” Uma whispers.

They’re closer to each other now, and Mal is enveloped in Uma’s smell, from her cardigan and from her sitting mere inches away. Mal’s eyes flit down to Uma’s lips, and she meets Uma’s eyes looking right back at her, both of them slowly filling the space between them, the tension palpable. Mal goes to answer, but not before they’re jolted apart by the sound of Mal’s phone vibrating in her pocket.

“Fuck. I forgot about Evie. She’s been calling me non-stop.”

Mal answers, her voice tentative.

“Hello?”

_“Where the fuck have you been? I’ve been calling you for over an hour! I’m getting Jay to come and get you right now.”_ Evie doesn’t swear, and Mal cringes at the curse.

“No, it’s okay,” she looks at Uma, who looks back at her with a puzzled expression. “I’ll make my way over. I’ll be there soon.”

_“Mal, you are going to be the death of-”_ click.

Uma laughs lightly. “I see what you mean.”

“Yeah, they love me, and they only want what’s best for me. It’s just a lot. I better get going.” Mal goes to stand up, and takes the cardigan off, but Uma puts a hand on her arm and shakes her head lightly.

“Keep it. If you’re gonna be walking to Evie’s, you’re gonna need it.” Uma gestures to Mal’s little dress and denim jacket. Just another reminder of how much Mal has changed, a stark contrast to Uma’s chains and piercings and flannel shirt.

“I would drive you, but I’ve had a couple beers.”

Mal looks at Uma again, her eyes lingering, searching Uma’s face for any indication of what is going through the other girl’s head. She finds nothing, so she just nods slowly.

“O-Okay. I’ll give it back to you-”

“Tomorrow. When we graduate.” When we talk again because we do that now. 

“Tomorrow.” Mal smiles like she can’t quite believe it, and they make their way through the garden back up to the house, their arms brushing as they walk. Uma leads Mal around the back gate, on the broken cobblestones of the street outside of the street, and to Uma’s doorstep.

“I planned this out for weeks you know. I didn’t know what I was gonna say, or if I was even gonna do it, I just knew I had to make it up to you, so-”

“So, you showed up at my party.” Uma’s face is full of amusement.

Mal lets out a breathy laugh.

“Yeah, I showed up at your party.”

They both let out quiet laughs, not quite looking at each other but not quite looking away either. Mal catches a glimpse of her old family home out of the corner of her eye and looks away quickly. Uma notices this. (She’s always been quick, especially when it came to reading Mal.)

“She’s not in. Your dad moved out too. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Uma reaches for Mal’s hand and squeezes it. Mal nods but can’t quite bring herself to let go of Uma’s hand, even when the other girl goes to turn round and let go. Instead, what Mal does is pull her hand and bring the other girl close to her, so that their lips brush ever so slightly. 

It takes less than a second for Uma to bring her hand up to ghost over Mal’s cheek, and gently return the kiss. It only lasts a second, but for Mal, time slows, and the moment feels like a lifetime. But then that lifetime is cut short and Uma is walking into her house, with one singular glance back at Mal, and disappears through her front door. Mal’s heart is racing, and it doesn’t stop until she reaches the corner of Evie’s street and practically sprints to her best friend’s front door.

_ ~ _

_“Oh my God, Ben asked you to prom?” Inez squealed, her high-pitched voice grating against Mal’s eardrums._

_“Yeah, we have been dating for three years now, it’s not that big of a surprise.” she says, feeling Evie’s elbow dig into her. She expects the look, but it still makes her eyes roll when Evie’s face practically screams ‘be nice!’._

_“I know, but you’re going to be a real-life king and queen!”_

_“Yay.” Mal tries to feign excitement, but there’s only so much of Inez’s fake peppiness and ass-wiping she can take. Inez would take her crown in a second if she thought she had a shot. As soon as she became captain, Evie warned her about Inez._

_ “You can’t believe a word that girl says.” she’d told her while they were driving to school. _

_The sight of a familiar set of turquoise braids snaps her out of her thoughts, and she quickly looks away, clearing her throat. It’s become second nature to her, pretending that Uma doesn’t exist. But Inez catches on._

_“I can’t believe you used to be friends with that. Isn’t she like, a lesbian?” She raises her voice just as Uma walks past them. “You’re lucky she didn’t prey on you, Mal. At least you have Ben to protect you now.”_

_Uma’s ears prick, and she turns around, rage on her face. Harry grabs her shoulder and whispers something in her ears as she goes to take a step towards Inez, who is suddenly stepping back, her eyes narrowed and her jaw sharp. Uma is looking at Mal with an expression Mal doesn’t even want to decipher, because Inez is also looking at her, high ponytail flipping and her lashes fluttering, expectantly. This is one of those moments where Mal wants the world to swallow her up whole, she knows what the right thing to do is, but she’s too scared to do it. She’s too scared to let everyone down. So, she doesn’t say anything, and lets out a small laugh, devoid of humour. But it’s enough to satisfy Inez, and piss Uma off even more, because her face curls in disgust, and she spits on the floor by Inez, who jumps back and lets out a high-pitched squeal._

_“Come on, Uma, it’s not worth it.” Gil pulls Uma away, but not before her and Mal meet eyes, and Mal is filled with nothing short of shame and disgrace. She runs to the bathroom during practice after school and sobs for a good twenty minutes, and then fixes her braids, reapplies her makeup, and walks back onto the field, her head held high. Evie squeezes her hand when she gets back out onto the field._

_ ~ _

Her eyes scan the crowd, searching for someone who she knows isn’t turning up. Apparently, your daughter being a bisexual is enough to not care that she’s also graduating. She feels a hand take hers, and looks to her right to see Carlos, smiling back at her. Evie to her left, takes her other hand and they both squeeze. She’s thankful for these idiots, and Jay who reaches round Carlos to squeeze Mal’s shoulder. They’re standing in line for the stage, in their graduation gowns and caps, waiting to receive their diploma. Mal has dreamed about this day all year, of finally being free to be the Mal she wanted to be, away from this high school, and the expectations and restraints that it came with. She started the year thinking that she would be free to explore new things, and instead she was just trapped in being a new person. She knows Evie didn’t mean for it to happen, she only wanted Mal to prosper and join the team with her, and Mal could never really be mad at her. She was her rock these past few years, and Mal wouldn’t trade her for the world.

When it was time to collect her diploma, she shook the principal's hand and looked out to the crowd to have her picture taken by the school photographer. She doesn’t know to this day what the photo looks like, she didn’t even want to look at it, because instead she was met with a bright blue jacket that was more than familiar to her, along with the hair and eyes of Hades. Her father. Tears instantly pricked her eyes, and she shakily walked down the stairs to sit next to Carlos, who looked at her, his smile knowing.

“Did you-” she whispered, her voice faint.

“Yeah, we tracked him down. You’re welcome.”

Mal can’t even look at Carlos, and instead reaches for his hand, pulling it into her own lap, silent tears streaming down her face. She can’t bring herself to say thank you, but she knows she doesn’t need to say it. There’s a bond there, between the four of them. Evie comes to sit next to Mal, and all four of them hold hands through the rest of the ceremony. When Uma gets her diploma, she can feel the grips on her hand get even tighter, but for once her chest doesn’t feel tight. It feels at peace.

_ ~ _

_“Mommy, can I play outside?”_

_“No. Mommy’s on the phone, Mal. Go and play in your room.” Maleficent turns away from Mal, talking to her phone about things Mal doesn’t understand, drinking something that looks like pink lemonade, but earned Mal a smack when she tried to drink some. She doesn’t eat or drink anything without asking now. She hears a laugh coming from the back door, and looks back at her Mother, then back at the slightly ajar door, and then back again, until her five year old brain reasons that if her Mother doesn’t see Mal go outside, and doesn’t find out, technically she didn’t do anything wrong._

_So, she stumbles to the door, opening it and running outside to their new garden. They’ve only been at this house a day, she’s only had one sleep, and there’s so much left to explore, it wouldn’t be fair to not let her. She hears that giggle again, coming from the other side of her fence and walks up to it, puzzled._

_“Mama, do it again, do it again!”_

_She watches as a woman picks up a little girl and spins her around, both of their chocolate braids and floral dresses spinning as they go round and round. Mal thinks it looks beautiful, she’s not allowed to wear long dresses like that. Mom says they make them look like hippos, or hoppies, which Mal doesn’t think makes any sense._

_The woman looks at Mal, and smiles._

_“Would you like to join in sweetie?”_

_Mal nods, and the other girl comes running up to their fence._

_“What’s your name? I’m Uma.”_

_Mal can’t find her words, this girl looks different to her, but she’s pretty. So is the woman._

_“M-Mal. Do you wanna play together?”_

_Mal nods, and Uma holds out her hand, which Mal takes, and leads her towards a hole in the fence she can crawl through._

_“Shall we be friends?” Uma grins at Mal, her teeth full of gaps._

_“Let’s be best friends.” Mal laughs back, the sound full of delight._

_“Okay, best friends.”_

_~_

Mal doesn’t know where that memory came from, or why it chose to enter her head, and she chooses to ignore the later events of her Mom coming out screaming and snatching Mal back and smacking her for disobeying her. Her mom was never the biggest fan of Uma, hence all the sneaking around. 

When the ceremony is finished, Evie gets up as class president to do a speech about the next chapter in their lives, and Mal can’t help but shed a tear as she holds on even tighter to Carlos’ hand. At one point, she meets eyes with Uma, and a smile ghosts over the other girl’s face. She returns it, and it’s filled with anticipation.

At the end of the ceremony, all of the students get up on the stage to take a graduate photo, with the cliché throwing of the hats in the air and the chants and screams and tears and Mal wouldn’t change it for the world. In this one moment, she can pretend she is a normal teenager whose biggest problems are buying a new college wardrobe, prepping for orientation, and having the best summer of her life. In this one moment, she can just breathe. She catches the eye of Uma, who is at the side of the group, only smiling slightly, and she feels a familiar pull at her heart. In that moment, Mal decides that enough is enough. She walks past the jocks, Ben, Inez, and everyone and straight to Uma, who is looking at her like she’s a wild animal. She feels a hand grip hers, nails digging hard into her palm. 

“What are you doing?” Inez hisses at her. Mal laughs, shaking her head and yanks her hand out of the girl’s iron grip.

“What I’ve always wanted to do. What I should’ve done a long time ago.”

She clambers through the crowd to Uma, and Uma gravitates towards her, both of them knowing what’s coming. The second they reach each other, they almost collide together, wrapping each other up in their arms and crashing their mouths together. She can hear the whoops of Evie, Carlos, and Jay, deafening over the reactions of the rest of their classmates. She even hears Ben, to her amusement.

“Good for her, good for them.”

Her and Uma both grin into the kisses, and Mal catches Uma’s bottom lip between hers one last time before they both pull away.

“I can’t believe you kissed me on the stage in front of all your stupid friends.”

Mal scoffs and rests her forehead against Uma’s.

“I know I’m only seventeen, and we don’t know anything about what our futures hold or what’s gonna happen, but I know I miss you. I’ve missed you so much, Uma.”

“You forgot my cardigan, didn’t you?”

“I forgot your cardigan.”

Uma lets out a genuine laugh and kisses Mal’s forehead, and every bit of tension, anger and every bitter feeling evaporates from both girls, their shoulders lighter, their faces brighter. The crows disperses, seniors going to hug their families, when Mal feels a hand on her shoulder, and she removes herself from Uma’s arms to come face to face with an identical pair of eyes staring back at her, making her dizzy and stealing the air from her lungs.

“Dad. You’re here. Why are you here?”

“I’ve got a lot of explaining to do.” He squeezes Mal’s shoulder, and brings his other hand from behind his back, handing her a small bouquet of purple carnations.

“I know these were your favourite, and they match your hair. Evie sent me a photo. What do you say we go get some dinner to celebrate?” he looks at her, and she knows she has a decision to make here. Mal looks back at Uma, who’s looking back at the pair of them, her expression unreadable. She squeezes the other girl’s hand, and steels herself.

“Only if Uma can come.”

Uma stiffens, her jaw jutting out, ready to jump to the defence of Mal. But it’s unnecessary, for Mal’s dad nods and looks at them both, a knowing smile on his face.

“Of course. We all have a lot of catching up to do. Shall we?”

He holds out both arms, which both girls take graciously, smiling at each other and they make their way to his car. She stops by Evie, Jay and Carlos and clings onto them for dear life, whispering thank you’s and tearful adorations to them, and they shower her with affection in return. So, she goes, arm in arm, to have dinner with her father and girlfriend (at least she hopes that they are), and thanks Zeus for making her wildest dreams come true. She couldn’t have even dreamt of this, and Mal knows she is more blessed than she knows. She knows that she’s safe, and free, and loved. 

__

_ The worst thing that I ever did, was what I did to you. _

__


End file.
